;; jace devlin

She could tell it was her brother coming up the stairs before he even pushed her door open, even despite this she didn’t answer straight away. She found herself internally sighing— not really sure what she was going to be met with, so when she sees snacks she lightly smiles, green eyes widening a little at the bag of Doritos among the goodies in his arms. “I did tell her I wasn’t hungry,” though she knew their mom well enough to know she wouldn’t take that, knowing that Chloe wasn’t really one to not turn down food. “I’ll have some of those m&ms though.” Of course, she would. Moving into her room she plonks herself down on the floor, back resting against her bed, finding it more comfortable lower down. “My head’s all over the place.” That was the truth. “Things are only going to get worse, aren’t they?” That’s all she felt, she didn’t see Kaan dead as the light at the end of the tunnel.

--

“Yeah I told her the same thing and got an earful down the phone so if I gotta eat, so do you.” He half smirked, noting how similar they both were in times of stress. It was usually unknown for Jace to ever turn down food, so when he did? It raised red flags everywhere. But Chloe was just the same, at least the two of them could relate to each other in that respect. “Fair.” He nods, moving to sit down on the box top opposite her. It went without need to say that what she experienced was heavy. “What makes you say that?” Jace tips his head, a small frown on his features. “We can’t know that and honestly? We don’t know that it will get worse, the same way we don’t know it’ll get better. Can’t be a pessimist in all aspects of your life, Chlo, that frown will end up stuck.” Teasing just a little, he sighs inwardly as he rests his arms on his thighs. “You held your own in that room, you should be proud of yourself. We were all put in an impossible situation but we got out. We’re here, we’re alive, everything else can be processed a little at a time, you know?” 

Special Delivery For: @glcsshousex​

It was no secret that Jace had a helluva few months. The poor dude. Nolan knew all about Kaan and he had heard about Leyla and it was just…unfortuante. Nolan had been a pretty crappy friend and hadn’t really reached out Jace lately. Life got in the way and…he just didn’t. And he felt awful about that. However, he was going to fix and get them back on the friendship trail because Jace was one of his oldest friends. Jace, Hayden and himself were like three amigos.

He invited the seraph to their favorite bar and found a comfortable booth for them. He ordered two beers and an order of nachos and had Jace’s beer sitting and waiting for the man for when he got there. Whenever he did. There was no rush. And if he took too long then Nolan would just drink the beer he originally bought for him and buy Jace another when he got there. But regardless, the guy was getting a beer. It was really the least he could do at this very moment. Pulling out his phone, he started up a rousing game of Dice With Buddies and munched on the nachos as he waited.

--

It was fair to say Jace had been busy since the events that Valentines weekend. Not just Seraph related, but perhaps more so the mundane things. His unwillingness to leave Leyla’s side, but knowing when to back off and give her the freedom she deserved. Reassuring his mother that just because he could have died for the second time within the year, doesn’t mean that a whole ‘third time a charm’ is going to happen. And then there was Liv, Chloe, Cynric, Hayden, Nolan... Trying to create the free time to truly dedicate to them and suss out if they were okay. It felt like a lot and of course, it was. He was however, slowly getting around to everyone. When Nolan shot him a text, he was already nearby and only needed a little longer to wrap up what he was doing. 

Since Nolan was on his ‘to do list’, he happily responded with a simple, I’ll be there. Jace showed up at the bar and made his way over to the fellow man. “For me?” Pointing to the beer and noting that Nolan hadn’t drank much from the other, he felt assured the male hadn’t been sat here too long. “Thanks. I’ll buy the next round. And some nacho’s. This place does amazing nacho’s. Seriously. One plate but stacked up like a double decker bus. Amazing.” He chuckled, picking the beer up to take a gulp as he made himself comfortable. “Let’s get down to business then... Are we going for a formal check in or an informal bro moment?” Raising a brow, it was impossible not to show the amusement on his features. “Or can I just tell you I’m fine and move on to ask about you?”  

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From the moment she had woken up, everything seemed to blink by in a blur. From the fire she found herself quickly having to dodge to the trip back to Jace’s place, each second passed like she was floating underwater, not quite present yet or even truly there. Her brain still fighting to catch up to the events that had occurred as he guided her into the shower. Her fingertips softly tracing their way across the faint traces of bruises already beginning to form across his skin as those wide blue eyes of her finally found their way back to his. Reality finally setting in. 

“Why? Because I was so useful back there?” Leyla attempted to joke. Her voice was no more than a soft whisper as she found herself leaning into his touch. The word useless coming to mind as she thought back to how Kaan had so easily gotten the upper hand on her and how she had just stood there helplessly as her life flashed before her eyes. She could practically still feel the excruciating pain burning her up from the inside out as his teeth torn through her neck and her body hit the floor. She could still feel the want to fight through it building up against her chest- to just hold on for a bit longer, to keep her eyes open and just bring herself to stay awake. Only, the pain been too much and the thought of giving in had been too strong. So, she passed out and if it wasn’t for the vampire blood in her system right now, all of this, everything she knew and loved- her friends, her family, the man before her trying desperately to make her feel safe would be all but forgotten. She was so close to being reborn again as someone else. Some stranger who would never remember any of this or how loved she had been and, in some way, that thought seemed scarier to her than death. “I love you though. You know that? And thank you. For saving me? Again? We’ve really got to stop doing this though, huh? Maybe, next time, I can actually save you for a change? But, then again…” Probably not.

--

Jace merely tipped his head when she vocalised what could only be translated as some form of defeat. He couldn’t blame her for it, of course. Everything she had been through in the last months alone were more than most could handle but that was exactly his point. “Because,” he began, pausing just to dip down and press a kiss to her forehead. “Here you are.” Alive, still standing. It was an achievement all on its own, he’d argue. The Seraph wrapped her in the towel as he gently nudged her to walk back into the bedroom, where she could sit down on the bed. He wasn’t ignoring what she’d said, he’d offered up a silent smile in response. Maybe it was odd, perhaps she wouldn’t understand it, but he needed to take those words of hers and let them soak in like the beads of water on his skin. It was as simple as basking in the sound of her voice and relaxing into the feeling that she was still breathing, after those gut wrenching minutes where he really thought he had lost her. 

“You don’t need to thank me,” he began, pulling one of his shirts from the wardrobe as he makes his way back over to her. “Then again?” Jace repeated curiously. It was posed as a question but it wasn’t one he wanted an answer for. His hands had ruffled up the shirt in his grasp so that he could put her head through it and let it sit on her shoulders ( allowing her the freedom to slide her arms into it when she’s ready. ) “You save me every minute you keep breathin’, Leyla. Don’t think for a second you don’t do for me every day what I’ve done for you. The circumstances differ but when it comes down to the basic facts...” He pauses, crouching down in front of her, hands on the outsides of her thighs, half to support his balance, half because he just needed to touch her. “You save me.” He nods slowly, looking up at her with a coy smile, one he reserved perhaps only for her. “I love you too.” Words he hopes won’t be surprising to her, considering the fact that he pretty much fell in love with her the day they met an hadn’t stopped since. 

--

Jace hadn’t been here long, only coming in to make a dent in his report sheets and then, he planned on a breezy exit. Well, that was assuming he could actively avoid those with authority enough to make him stay and talk through what happened at Valentine’s. Truthfully? He couldn’t yet be bothered. Still tired, not really sleeping, not eating properly, still worried, and for what? Kaan was dead, Leyla was safe, so why did he still have that horrible pit in the bottom of his stomach? 

“Aren’t you a sight for sore eyes.” Jace slowed to a stop when he spots the back of a familiar head. “What you up to? I’m about to make a run for it, Prison Break style, if you wanna join me?” He teased, though he was entirely serious about leaving. “Food? My shout?” Sure, it was a form of bribery, but it nearly always worked & he had been itching to actually sit down with Liv and make sure she was doing okay. 

--

{ Walking into his old home, he moves to greet his mom like he always would, a smile and a hug. Only this time, he finds her practically creating smoke off her heels just to reach him. “Hey, mom.” Jace can’t help the light chuckle, at least before she began to squeeze the life out of him. “Easy there, Luisa, still need to breathe.” The Seraph leans back, assuring her he’s perfectly fine, in spite of her being quite upset by the injuries he’d sustained. “Chloe caught you up to speed? Where is she?” He wonders, since he was mainly here to check in on her. After a few minutes, he makes his way upstairs and knocks at her bedroom door. } 

“You better let me in before I eat all these snacks by myself.” He warns, giving the bag a rustle as he did. Once she opens the door and he can see her face, he finds his shoulders slouching in relief. “Hey, kid. How goes the day?” Jace smirks, only stepping inside when she allows him to. “Mom’s making dinner if you wanna wait,” to eat the snacks, he means. Considering he’s holding them out for her to take. “How are you doing after what happened?” Straight to the point, as always, it wasn’t as though Chloe wouldn’t have been expecting it. 

--

“You didn’t have to.” He raises a brow, placing the takeout tubs she’d brought to him down on the counter. “But I appreciate it, thank you.” Jace glances over, offers her a lopsided smile. He supposed it went without saying that Hayden was more than aware of how he typically neglected himself in times of stress or sadness. It wasn’t something he did on purpose though, he just didn’t have much of an appetite whenever things weighed down his mind. 

“So, you stepped down...” He says, giving a small shrug of his shoulder as he set down a couple glasses & a bottle of whiskey. “Good.” He nods, sliding onto the kitchen stool. “You were too good for such a shitty job. I say only because I’m a selfish fuck and I’ve really missed having you by my side in the field.” Smiling, he pours the drinks and pushes one her way. “Any regrets?” He wondered.

--

The Seraph had brought her to his home, guided her into the bathroom where he put the shower on and helped her out her bloody clothes and into the hot water. The heat made every open wound he had sting, but he only gritted his teeth through the pain. There wasn’t many words spoken between them, merely gentle prompts for her to help him, help her. Jace was gentle as he washed her hair & cleaned the blood from her skin. He gave her the odd little squeeze on her arm in a silent attempt to keep her grounded to reality. His chest felt tight, the weight of what had happened sinking into his flesh bit by bit. He almost lost her, for good. Selfishly, he feels the weight of that on his shoulders more than anything else. Had it not been for the help of a vampire he didn’t know giving her blood, perhaps he wouldn’t be standing here with her now? It makes him grimace just to think about. 

Having stepped out the shower, he wrapped a towel around his waist and held another open for her to step into, presuming she was ready to step out and dry off. He wanted to make sure she felt safe, everything he was doing was to try and bring that feeling back to her, remind her that now? She had nothing to fear, she no longer had to look over her shoulder. Jace couldn’t help but pause at her front, brushing some of her dark hair away from her eyes. In spite of the fact his own looked so incredibly tired and full of grief, he just needed that moment for himself, to truly look at her and feel her skin under his touch. Reality. “You’re one hell of a woman, Leyla Binici. You know that, right?” 

@darkesthourstarters​

“I would apologize for walking out of that hell hole of a weekend naked, but honestly let’s be real you should be thanking me for that view.” Selene talked aimlessly as she shuffled through her papers. She’d barely came out of her ripper state to know about her little naked walk, but it had certainly been mentioned to her repeatedly. While she was embarrassed of her actions and what had happened, she refused to show it; instead pretending all was fine and that she hadn’t been shredding pillows like it was her new hobby. “Anyway are you here to ask for my work out routine or did you need something of actual importance?”

--

“Nothin’ I hadn’t seen before,” he shrugs, closing the door to her office behind him as he walks further inside. There was a small difference in the way he would usually carry himself around her. More defensive, on guard, though if she noticed, he’d expect that she would understand why. Just as she was smart enough to know he hadn’t walked in here unarmed. there was a stake tucked away in the back of his jeans, just in-case. “Yeah. Came to ask if you’re back to biting off heads.” Blunt, but then, he never did sugar-coat things with her, why start now? Jace took a seat opposite her, perched a little on the edge as he studies her. She looks fine, but then, what else would she look like? “If you are, then, I wanna say that before you lie to me you might want to consider the fact I’m probably the only seraph dumb enough to try and help you out.” Get her back on her diet, so to speak. He cared about her, just as much as he had too much respect for Devin. If Selene was killing people, he wanted to believe there was steps they could take before the seraphs or council got involved. 

" 𝖎𝖙 𝖍𝖆𝖉 𝖙𝖔 𝖇𝖊 𝖍𝖊𝖑𝖑 𝖔𝖓 𝖆𝖓 𝖆𝖓𝖌𝖊𝖑, 𝖑𝖔𝖛𝖎𝖓𝖌 𝖙𝖍𝖊 𝖉𝖊𝖛𝖎𝖑 𝖔𝖚𝖙𝖙𝖆 𝖒𝖊. "

─── · 。ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

“I liked you well enough to let you stick it in, now didn’t I?” Alina pointed out with a knowing look as she took another sip from the drink she had been milking up until this point. “Uh, well?” She mimicked his deep voice the best she could, as she cracked a grin. A hint of amusement flickered across her gaze as she watched him stumble over an excuse in an attempt to not offend her, like she would actually care one way or another. “And how would you pass unrespectfully, out of curiosity?” She mused, letting out a laugh at the thought. “Yet, that other reason, isn’t important enough to wear red for, is she? And don’t give me that don’t want ‘everyone knowing my business’ bullshit. If that were honestly true, you wouldn’t be trying to hint your non-existent relationship status to me.”

--

“Touché.” He gives a quiet chuckle, finding the words to be typically Selene like. Bold, truthful and without a sugar-coat. Jace picks his drink up as it arrives, eager to feel the burn in the back of his throat. Alcohol: always the soother to his unsettled soul. “How?” He huffs, brows raising in a little amusement as his eyes look back towards her. “Unrespectfully, I’d have told you to take a hike because you know as well as I do, we haven’t rolled around for months now and it’s because our thing we had just ran its course. Leave it ended on a high note, you know?” Straight faced, steady tone, there’s only a shrug of his left shoulder and a slight smile on his lips. He figured, Selene always respected the truth, and he’d never held his tongue before, so why start now? The vampire he knew would never allow someone as unimportant as him to hurt her feelings. “Well, first of all, I don’t want everyone knowing my business, I never have? Colour of my shirt wouldn’t change that.” Jace chuckles, knocking the rest of his drink back. “Maybe I’m just into someone and we’re not at the red colour stage. It ain’t yellow’s complicated, it ain’t green’s I’m a free agent, so that leaves black.” Another shrug, he remained un-phased by her commentary on what she assumed to be his situation. Even though in many respects, he and Leyla were absolutely, yellow’s type of complicated, he chose to ignore it an continue to enjoy whatever it was they were doing for as long as it would last. 

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“Oh,” Leyla’s bright smile fell ever so slightly as she scrunched up her nose at the thought that the flowers in her hand were once part of a giant vaginal shaped art piece. “Do you want them back or?” She offered up, happy to keep the vagina flowers, but knowing where they came from did kind of suck the romance right out of it. “You are. But, I didn’t tell you, now did I?” Leyla pointed out. A hint of a smile finding its way back to her lips despite herself. “Yeah, it definitely wasn’t winning an Oscar, by any means,” She let out a laugh at the thought, leaning into the kiss despite herself. Her laughter only growing as her feet slid out from under her. Her legs wrapping tighter around his waist as she watched as the room around them shifted before their eyes. “I don’t know, is this? And I can’t with you, you know that? And I carried that watermelon better than anyone’s ever. Now, come here lover boy.”

--

“Do I wan-- no, no,” he chuckled. “The way I see it? I liberated this flower from a life cursed to live as a vagina, and freed it to be moved and upgraded enough to sit on the ear of a girl who would make someone like Da Vinci cheer as he painted.” He smirks, boyishly as both his brows raise up. “Wow, listen to me. I didn’t even practise that, I swear.” Jace set a lighter grin on his face, something he found all too easy to do in her presence. “You didn’t, no, but I knew and I came anyway to see you, so what does that say?” He asked, mostly a rhetorical question considering if the question flipped back on him, he probably wouldn’t know the answer. “I hope you mean the movie and not our rerun attempt? Otherwise I’m going to have to insist on another remake,” he teases, giving her thighs a little squeeze as he slid them around to rest just above her ass. “Oh, better than anyone, for sure.” Jace can’t help the smirk that curls both corners of his lips. Lover boy. He laughs, he can’t help it, her comment, the vision around them, be figures... What the hell. “Mm,” beginning a thoughtful hum, it takes quite some willpower on is part, considering he desperately wants to do nothing else but kiss her. Instead? He moves his hands to signal that he’s putting her feet back down on the ground, only to capture her hand with his and make her do a spin as he backs away a little. “... And if I don’t answer?” 

“Red riding hood? So creative,” Hayden rolled her eyes but laughed anyways. She understood where he was coming from of course, having to be here was making her uneasy considering they weren’t allowed to have their phones or weapons. “Yeah, I mean I like Amara and I trust her, but anywhere that makes me give up my tech and weapons before going in is a big red flag for me,” she sighed. “Honestly, if this place lets that guy in here I am losing all respect for everyone involved in that decision cause that’s fucked,” she shook her head. “Thanks though,” she added, a smirk coming back to her lips at the compliment. She had hoped to see him in red too, have them both be happy and in good places. At their ages, they deserved that. 

--

“Afraid of a little honesty?” Liv asked, with a knowing tilt of a brow. “Yeah, yeah. Love you too even though you look… very much the same? You still haven’t made up your mind yet, relationship wise, have you?” Although, she didn’t need the honesty room to already know the answer. Perks of being family, she supposed- being able to read each other to a T. “Really?” Liv quirked a brow up in question as Jace went straight for asking how she was when he knew she wouldn’t be able to just brush it off with a lie. “No or well, yes, technically, at this exact moment I’m feeling great? But, that is probably thanks to the happy potion I downed about thirty minutes ago. I don’t know. I guess I just don’t exactly know what I’m doing with my life? Or with the seraphs or with my art? Basically, I’m midlife crisising early. But, on the bright side, I have you, this cute green top that is like a neon sign over my head telling people to flirt with me, and endless drinks to keep me company? And please. I’d straight for Patrick Swayze. I mean that lift in Dirty Dancing.” 

--

“Afraid I’m too sober to deal with the fallout of what could possibly spill out,” he snorted out a laugh, in spite of the fact it was entirely true. Well, it had to be, in a room like this, and a man like him? Held way too many silent thoughts inside his head that he would hate to have exposed. “Shut up,” he merely grumbles in response to her question, picking up a shot to knock back, as if that was going to silence his vocal chords. “It’s complicated.” Jace sighed, pinching his nose as he decided to sit himself down. Maybe it wasn’t complicated, maybe he was the one complicating a really simple situation, but he wouldn’t be him if he didn’t try and make rods for his own back. “Oh yeah, Queen B is dishing those out like candy,” he chuckles. “Weird, isn’t it? Being exposed to this other world and knowing we have to forget.” Jace shrugged, picking up his glass as he turned his full attention towards her. “It’s ok not to know what direction you’re heading in, you know that, don’t you? It’s not an age thing or a crisis of any kind, all you need to remember is that if you’re enjoying it, then keep going, and if you’re not? Then maybe you need to take a beat and think about why.” Smiling, he figured she would understand the main point of it, which was that she only needed to know an do what made her happy. “Right? Totally agree.” His appreciation for Dirty Dancing? Undeniable, even without the honesty room.

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“Wait, you got me-” Leyla blinked up at Jace, momentarily taken aback as he offered her the rose he had tucked behind his back. A bright smile breaking across her lips as she found herself left speechless for a moment. She knew it was silly to get so awestruck over one rose of all things, but given that while she was packing she hadn’t been sure if she should wear black or green, she hadn’t exactly been expecting him to get her anything. Her soft smile only growing as she leaned into his touch, lifting herself up onto her tiptoes as she pressed a light kiss against his cheek. “Thank you,” She whispered out as she moved to lace her arms up around his neck. Her fingers mindlessly playing with the ends of his hair as her forehead rested against his. “Well, if I told you, would you have willing came to visit me?” She pointed out, blinking up at him once more, but this time it was as innocently as she could. “You do?” She asked, finding herself taken aback once more at the realization that Jace Devlin of all people had volunteered to re-enact a Romcom willingly. “And oh. It’s pretty much like Russian roulette? So, I’m not all too sure which one we’re going to end up in, but oh please! You would be so lucky,” She laughed, rolling her eyes playfully over at him as she pulled him more into the center of the room. “But, relax. Knowing you, it’s going to be Dirty Dancing and me Crazy, Stupid, Love, so either way, I’m guessing you’re about to have to lift me, unless you want me to try to lift you? Though, if we do that, I’m pretty sure you’re going to end up flying face first into the floor.” 

--

“Don’t look too impressed, I stole it from a flower arrangement shaped like a giant vagina.” He snorted, internally wishing he could tell her he was joking. “You’re welcome,” Jace curved his lips upward into an almost coy smile, a look only she could manage to pull from him. “I’m here, aren’t I?” He hushed, brushing his nose against hers. Sure, he had a solid feeling he would regret walking in here but he figured... What the hell, let’s do it anyway. Seeing her bright eyes would surely make it worth the embarrassment and besides, maybe he was just craving a little dumb fun for once. “Well you and I both know I have been so lucky, but with better taste, that movie was awful,” he grinned, tipping his head forward to snag himself a kiss. “You say that like it’s a chore.” He counters, tucking his hands under the curve of her ass and lifting her up, settling her around his waist. “I--” he paused, distracted by the way everything around them began to spin, warping into that russian roulette movie choice. As soon as the vision around them settles into a movie he knows all too well, he can’t help but laugh. “Alright, you called it... But I guess, that makes me Swayze now, huh? And you, baby, you carried that watermelon so well.”